Veronica plant named ‘Twilight’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Veronica  plant named ‘Twilight’, characterized by its upright, compact and sturdy plant habit; freely basal branching habit; dense and bushy plant form; long flower racemes; freely flowering habit; and light violet blue-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Veronica hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Twilight’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronicaplant, botanically known as Veronica hybrida, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name ‘Twilight’.

The new Veronica is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The objective of the breedingprogram was to create sturdy new Veronica cultivars with numerousflowers with attractive coloration.

The new Veronica originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 1998 of a proprietary Veronica longifolia×Veronicaspicata selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary Veronica spicata×Veronica longifolia selection, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Veronica wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor during the summer of 2000 as asingle flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled environment in Haarlem, TheNetherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings since 2001 inHaarlem, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this newVeronica are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Twilight have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Twilight’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Twilight’ as a new and distinct Veronicacultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, compact and sturdy plant habit.    -   2. Freely basal branching habit, dense and bushy plant form.    -   3. Long flower racemes.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Light violet blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to the parent selections.Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Veronicaare more compact, are sturdier, have shorter flower racemes and havemore distinct flower coloration.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to plants of the Veronicacultivar Sunny Border Blue, not patented. Plants of the new Veronicadiffer from plants of the cultivar Sunny Border Blue in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Veronica are more compact and sturdier than        plants of the cultivar Sunny Border Blue.    -   2. Plants of the new Veronica have longer flower racemes than        plants of the cultivar Sunny Border Blue.    -   3. Plants of the new Veronica have darker colored flowers than        plants of the cultivar Sunny Border Blue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Veronica.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Twilight’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of atypical flower raceme of ‘Twilight’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of atypical leaf of ‘Twilight’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants shown in the aforementioned photographs and used in the followingdescription were grown under conditions which closely approximatecommercial production conditions during the late spring and summer in anoutdoor nursery in Lisse, The Netherlands. During the production of theplants, day temperatures ranged from 10 to 30° C. and night temperaturesranged from 4 to 15° C. Plants were about two years old when thephotograph and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica hybrida cultivar Twilight.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Veronica            longifolia×Veronica spicata selection, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Veronica            spicata×Veronica longifolia selection, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About one month during            the spring.        -   Root description.—Thick; freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Perennial. Upright, compact and sturdy plant habit;            narrow inverted triangle. Freely basal branching with about            18 flowering stems per plant; dense and bushy plant habit;            low to moderately vigorous growth habit. Numerous flowers            arranged on crowded terminal racemes.        -   Plant height.—About 31 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 27.5 cm.        -   Lateral stem description.—Length (excluding inflorescence):            About 15.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About            3.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color:            143C.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:            About 6.6 cm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: Between            137B and 143A. Developing foliage, lower surface: Between            143A and 144A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C to 138A.            Venation, upper surface: 138B. Venation, lower surface: 138B            to 138C. Petiole length: Lower leaves, about 1.9 cm; upper            leaves, sessile. Petiole diameter: About 4 mm. Petiole            color: 138B to 138C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers            closely spaced on upright terminal racemes; flowers face            mostly outward. Freely flowering habit, about 225 flowers            per raceme.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from July to            late September in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last about            one week on the plant. Flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: N87A to N87B.        -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 15.3 cm. Diameter: About 2            cm.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 6 mm. Depth (height): About 9 mm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Campanulate; four petals fused towards            the base. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:            Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper            surface: 90C to 90D. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: 90C to 90D.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Four sepals fused towards the base;            lower two sepals twice as long as upper two sepals. Length:            Upper sepals: About 3 mm. Lower sepals: About 6 mm. Width:            Upper sepals: About 1 mm. Lower sepals: About 1.5 mm. Shape:            Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            surface: 137A. Color, lower surface: 137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Aspect: Erect to 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color:            143B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Aspect: About 50° from vertical. Strength: Moderately            strong. Color: 143B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.            Filament length: About 6 mm. Filament color: 90B. Anther            shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:            N88C to N88D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 2C.            Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            6 mm. Stigma shape: Clavate, flattened. Stigma color: 90A.            Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: 90C. Ovary color:            143C. Fruit: Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A to 144B. Seed: Quantity per            fruit: About 12. Length: About 0.8 mm. Diameter: About            0.8 mm. Texture: Smooth. Color: N199A to N199B.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Veronica have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Veronica.-   High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Veronica have been    observed to tolerate temperatures up to 30° C.-   Hardiness: Plants of the new Veronica have been observed to be hardy    to USDA Zone 4.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant named ‘Twilight’, asillustrated and described.